A Different Road: The Alternate Book Fire
by Feuille en Argents
Summary: Their fates were sealed at the end of Book Earth... but what if one certain Waterbender had actually finished her healing of Fire Prince Zuko's scar? Destiny really is a funny thing... Zutara AND Kataang which will come out on top?
1. Prologue: The Crossroads of Destiny

**A/N: This is my version of what could have happened at the end of Crossroads of Destiny. I know a lot of fans were disappointed at Zuko's betrayal. So here it goes!**

**-FA**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar. Wish I did though...I could have published this finale...**

* * *

"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but…" Katara gingerly took the vial over to the Fire Prince.

Zuko closed his eyes as Katara reached her hand up to touch his scar. He felt the girl's gaze upon him as he waited for the cool sense of water. But Katara paused.

"How did you get that mark anyway?"

Zuko opened his eyes and pulled away. "You don't want to know." He turned so his back was facing her.

"Yes, I think I do." Katara waited patiently for Zuko's answer. She heard a deep sigh.

"I shamed my nation by speaking out. I had to duel my father, but I just couldn't. That was the day that I lost my honor." Zuko walked across the cave and stared at his reflection in a crystal.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Katara's voice was shaky. _How could a father do this to his own son? _She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. He tensed. She quickly removed it. "Do you still want me to try to heal it?"

He turned to face her again, his eyes gently closed. Katara reached her hand up once again to the burned flesh on his left eye. Carefully she bended a small drop of water out of the vial with her other hand and it soon darted around the hand that was on Zuko's face. It glowed as it settled on his scar. The skin around his eye slowly turned from its normally burning red to the ivory color of the rest of his face. The sacred healing water faded as Zuko opened his healed eyelid along with his other eye. Katara just stared at the new face of the teenager who had hunted her and her friends for so long. Their eyes met.

"Thank you." The quiet drone of Zuko's voice uttered to Katara as he took her hand for a few seconds before a loud noise erupted through the air. A chunk of the rock wall of the cave came crashing down as two figures came into sight.

"Aang!" Katara rushed over to her friend, her hand slipping out of the healed boy's grasp. Zuko's uncle stood beside the young Avatar. His eyes were wide when he saw Zuko.

"Nephew?"

"It's me, Uncle." Katara let go of Aang and turned to face Zuko again. Aang stepped beside Katara with a grimace on his face at first when he saw Zuko, then widened his eyes as well. Iroh ran over to Prince Zuko and hugged his nephew as Zuko stared in confusion over his uncle's shoulder at Aang. "Uncle, what are you doing with the Avatar?" His voice rose in anger.

"What are you doing standing with the waterbender girl, called Katara, I presume, and no scar on your face?" Iroh chuckled.

"I'm serious."

"So am I." Iroh chuckled again.

Silence.

"I healed him."

Aang just looked at Katara after she spoke. "You did _what_?"

"I healed his scar," She put simply.

More silence.

Iroh couched and then spoke to Katara and Aang. "You two find a way out of here." Aang nodded and then headed down the nearest tunnel. Katara soon followed after him in pursuit, but not without pausing to take one last glance in Zuko's direction. Zuko's eyes strayed to her direction as well, and their eyes met for a moment.

"We'll catch up to you later," The Dragon of the West finished. He then turned to his nephew as Aang took Katara's arm and took her through the tunnel. Zuko looked to the ground.

"Zuko."

The exiled prince looked up.

"I don't know what happened between you and the Avatar's friend, but this only adds to the great changes that have occurred inside you since we have been refugees. Now you are coming to the crossroads of your destiny. It is time now for you to choose. It is time for you to choose…good." A loud rumbling noise fell at the end of Iroh's speech. Soon after it was followed by a wall of rocks tumbling down forming an entrance for the two shadows of people visible; one of the shadows belonging to someone Zuko and Iroh knew all too well.

Azula stepped into the cavern beside a tall, shadowy man. He wore a green and beige Earth Kingdom tunic, but he bore a strange circular emblem on his chest, similar to the outfit that Azula now wore. The man thrust his hands out in an Earthbending stance, and with a quick swipe of his hand imprisoned Iroh within a cage of nearby crystals that he summoned from the ground.

"I had expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko…" Azula clicked her tongue as she shook her head in Iroh's direction. "You're many things, but you're not a traitor. Are you?" She turned to her brother. Her narrow golden eyes widened when she saw his face. She stumbled backwards. "What…what _happened_ to you?" She whispered.

"The world is changing, Azula," Iroh called from his crystal prison. "Your brother is changing along with it. He is no longer the banished prince you thought you knew."

"Bite your tongue, Uncle," Azula snapped. "Again: What happened to you, _brother_?" She spat at him.

"None of your business," He said quietly.

"What a pity. And to think I was about to give you one last chance to earn your 'honor' back." Zuko's head snapped up.

"What?"

"I need you, Zuko. I have all the pieces set in place, but one is missing. The only way for us to win this war is together."

"Don't listen to her, Zuko! Whatever there is to gain, it isn't for you!" Iroh called again.

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle." Azula turned back to her brother. "Besides, the royal family's reputation shall be cleared, now that the evidence of your banishment is gone. We could even say that you were never banished, simply undercover awaiting for the opportune moment to conquer Ba-Sing-Se with your dear sister…" The Fire Princess trailed off. "Then again, you are free to choose on your own." She gestured to the Dai-Li agent with her and he opened an exit in the wall. "I'll be on my way to capturing the _Avatar_ if you need me." She left the cavern.

"The nerve of that girl surprises me. Does she think she can make you fall for that old trick again?" Iroh scowled, but then his face looked sad when he saw the look on Zuko's face. "What is it?"

"I need some time alone."

"Of course. But can you first get me out of here? I'm still trapped within the Earth's boundaries." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Alright." Zuko walked over to his Uncle and his crystal prison, and with a swift firebending move, cut each of the crystals in half. Iroh pushed the pieces of his cage aside. He then proceeded to the tunnel that Aang and Katara had exited through, but stopped and turned to face his nephew.

"Zuko? I have one thing to say. Choice the destiny that you know is right. You are in control now."

"I know." Sadly, the banished prince already knew what he had to do…

* * *

"We have to go find Sokka and the others!" Katara said to Aang as they ran through a particularly large cave filled with blue-green crystals. Aang stopped for a minute, as if remembering something.

"Katara, I…there's something I need to say…"

"It'll have to wait, Aang. Look out behind you!" Katara shouted. A large blue blast of fire was heading right in the direction of the young Avatar. Aang turned around quickly just in time to create a wall of rock to block the attack. The collision made him fly backwards. After the smoke cleared away, the face of Princess Azula grinned at them. She stood in a fighting stance, her two right fingers pointing in their direction.

Katara charged toward Azula and waterbended an enormous wave along with her from the nearby canal. She thrust the wave at Azula, only to have the Fire Princess evaporate it all with a swift blast of fire. Steam flooded the area, and Katara and Aang thrust their eyes about them, searching for their enemy.

Silently, Azula sprang out of the steam and launched two simultaneous blue fire blasts at the two friends. Reacting fast, together they bended a stream of water to extinguish the fire before it hit them. Azula soon landed on all fours on the side of a large pillar of rock, much like a cat. She surveyed her setting, plotting her next moves. But the Avatar was quicker. With a few sharp movements Aang earthbended the rock pillar in half, sending Azula flying towards the ground. Surprisingly she landed on her feet once again, and when she stood up she held both sets of pointed fingers at her oponents' heads.

An eerie silence was brought about in the air. Neither Aang nor Katara nor Azula attacked. Azula's stray hairs of ebony blew in the air, motivated by her heavy breathing. Her eye contact switched from Katara, to Aang, then to Katara again. Before she could attack, another blast of fire, this time in red, blazing shades, slammed into the space between the three enemies.

Zuko stepped into the clearing. He too stood in his own fighting stance. Then the eerie silence resumed. His own eyes swept past Azula in her Dai Li outfit, past Katara, then they settled on Aang. Aang gulped, knowing exactly what would come next.

Zuko attacked Aang with another sharp blast of fire, which Aang blocked with a gust of wind. In the meantime Azula seized the opportunity to attack Katara with her own blast of blue fire.

With a new ferocity that Aang had never seen before, Zuko kept blasting fire at Aang without hesitation.

* * *

"See any Dai Li agents nearby?" Toph leaned against her cell wall.

"Nope. All clear.

Toph pressed her hand against the metal door, and with her new skill she crushed the metal door with her bare hands, making a crunching noise. Sokka followed Toph out of the prison.

"But- but I'm not leaving without Bosco!" The Earth King whined, looking out the now empty doorway.

Sokka sighed, then grabbed the older man's arm and pulled him along the corridor beside him and Toph.

* * *

Aang kept blocking Zuko's firebending moves with his airbending. After Zuko's last blast Aang threw a huge gust of wind shaped in the form of his own body at the banished prince. Zuko was thrust backwards, falling to the stone floor.

Zuko quickly stumbled to his feet again. Aang jumped next to him and threw more airbending. He dodged each one this time before he threw another fireball.

Aang flew into the air to dodge the fire, landing carefully on a wall of crystals, similar to the way Azula had done it earlier. He watched Zuko create one large barricade of fire and pulled some crystals up to brace himself. The immense energy crashed through the crystal, throwing Aang backwards into the air.

Aang pulled himself to his feet and watched Zuko created two huge, blazing whips of fire. He braced himself as Zuko thrust the whips through the crystal Aang was standing on. Aang flew into the air again, trying to dodge as many of Zuko's attacks with the whips as possible.

Meanwhile, Azula ran towards Katara, ready to fight. Katara thrust a sharp waterbending wave at her, snipping a section of hair off one of the Princess's treasured front locks.

Aang landed on a stalactite on the ceiling of the immense cavern and then cut half of it off with his earthbending. He let it drop and then he let himself fall. He pushed the huge spike of rock into the ground, making the earth shake and throwing Zuko across the room against a wall of crystals.

Katara threw another wave of water at Azula, who fell to ground with a shriek. Zuko's sister was finally starting to weaken. Katara pulled more water from her surroundings and encased her whole body in it and bended the water into two lengthening whips of water. When Azula tried to stand up and throw fire at the waterbender, Katara merely pushed one of her extended "arms" at Azula and trapped her arm in it as well. She did the same to Azula's leg when the girl tried to escape. Katara shook her water arms to tighten her grip and Azula shrieked again.

Zuko ran away from his fight with Aang and rushed to his sister's side. He cut through Katara's water whips with his own whips made of fire, freeing Azula. As Azula ran towards the Avatar, Zuko engaged in a new battle with the Water Tribe girl.

Their two elements clashed with each other's. Neither was willing to give up now.

"I thought you had changed!" Katara shouted. She looked like she was about to break down. That or she was ready to blast Zuko into pieces. "After all that before! I wasted my most precious possession on you, and now this!"

Zuko gave her a small smile, but he didn't stop his fire whips from hitting hers just yet.

"I have changed." Katara paused in her attack. She saw Zuko turn around to see his sister fighting the Avatar with her blue fire again. Her back was turned to him. He seized his chance. He slipped his two broadswords out from beneath his tunic, and after creating his fire whips again, raised his blades and used them to aim his two whips at Azula.

* * *

"C'mon, it's easy. You just walk on your front paws instead of your rear ones." Ty Lee bent down as she talked to the Earth King's pet bear.

"Why do _we_ have to watch this _thing_?" Mai whined. "Can't Azula get one of her new Dai Li soldiers to do it?"

Ty Lee ignored her. She persisted in talking to Bosco. "Try this!" She then proceeded to step into a handstand and began to walk on her hands. Then she bent backwards into a back-bend. Mounds of hard rock immediately formed around the bases of her hands and feet.

"That is a nice trick." The acrobat looked upwards, right into the face of the Avatar's blind Earthbender friend Toph. Behind her stood the Earth King, as well as the Water Tribe warrior boy. Ty Lee still thought the Water Tribe guy looked really hot in a fighting stance.

The Earth King ran over beside his pet. "Bosco!" He hugged the animal.

Mai sighed. "Just take the bear," She droned.

* * *

Zuko's sister sensed a presence behind her. She turned around quickly and blocked Zuko's blast with a zap of lightning. She frowned.

"I should have known this was coming."

Aang cocked his head at Zuko from behind Azula, confused. Katara only smiled beside the Fire Prince. The three of them surrounded Azula in a triangle.

"But you're treachery again, Zuko, will have no benefits." Azula gestured behind all of them. Dai Li agents surrounded the cave, each in an earthbending stance.

Katara, Zuko and Aang scowled. Each had had their own encounters with these agents, and they weren't about to lose to them now.

Katara bended more water and formed the water octopus around her. Zuko looked at Katara, and then was inspired. He closed his eyes and began to ready himself for-

"Zuko?" He heard Katara's voice. "Thanks."

Zuko smiled with his eyes closed. A tranquil, thoughtless state enveloped him. He was ready to do what Uncle had taught him.

Aang heard Katara's brief words to Zuko, and his heart fell. He looked around at all the Dai Li plus Azula surrounding them, then at Katara and Zuko. He saw Zuko's smile. He looked down, all his feelings falling in a landslide. A crushing sadness went through his body. A tear fell down his cheek as he turned around, his head to the ground. He pulled more crystals out of the ground, creating a tee-pee-like series of walls around him.

Aang meditated the way the Guru had taught him. There was no point in refusing to master the Avatar State now. It was clear that Katara didn't return his feelings.

In no time at all, in his mind Aang was encompassed by a violet orb of energy, his tattoos glowing.

Aang's crystal tee-pee seemed to glow, and all the Dai Li, Azula, and Katara stopped to gaze at the sight. Zuko opened his eyes to see Aang levitating out of the crystals. Aang's eyes and tattoos were glowing white, a visual of his powerful Avatar State.

Katara smiled in the middle of her octopus. Aang never would let her down.

Something wasn't right, though, Zuko noticed. His sister had vanished.

As Aang rose in the air to his highest point, a blinding electric light crashed through him. Azula had blasted him straight through the back with her lighting. And he had been in the Avatar State.

Katara's face fell. She rushed towards Aang with another enormous wave behind her. Water flowed throughout the cavern as Katara caught Aang in her arms.

Zuko had not been lucky enough to catch up to Katara. He had gotten caught in the current with the Dai Li and Azula.

As the water drained away, Katara held Aang in her arms and cried, like a mother who had lost her child. Zuko rushed to her side.

"That- that _witch_!" She screamed. She looked with a powerful anger in her eyes at Azula, who began to approach them.

A fence of fire suddenly appeared between the trio and Azula. Iroh stepped in front of his nephew and Katara, who was still holding the body of the fallen Avatar.

"Get out of here, now!" He shouted to them. "I'll hold them off as long as I can! Go!" Katara bended water beneath her, Aang, and Zuko and began to use it to rise them towards a hole in the ceiling.

"No, Uncle I won't leave you!" Zuko shouted back. He tried to jump from the tower of water, but Katara grabbed him.

"Don't risk your own life! We're in trouble enough as it is!" She cried. Zuko took one last look at his dear Uncle Iroh, who, after making a feeble attempt at a diversion, was now imprisoned in crystal once more.

Appa and the others were waiting at the hole in the top of the cave. The three veterans jumped on. Katara sat with Aang in the front.

She pulled out her amulet from the North Pole once more. She looked in the vial and more tears rolled down her face. She summoned a mere drop from the vial and bended it onto Aang's back. It glowed for a moment, and then faded.

"No…" Katara whispered. Zuko, sitting in the back, looked away from her.

Aang's tattoos surprisingly glowed once more. His eyes flickered open for a moment, then closed his eyes again when he realized Katara was holding him.

"Aang!" Katara hugged him.

* * *

"I'm so glad you were here to see me do what you failed to do, Uncle," Azula now sat on what had once been the Earth King's throne. "And I'm glad that you saw Zuzu abandon you for the Avatar and that Water girl."

"He did not abandon me," Iroh responded from the foot of the stairs below Azula, guarded by Mai and Ty Lee. "He did what was best."

"Whatever you say, Uncle. It doesn't change anything. You are still both traitors, and one of you has finally been caught." She grinned. "And finally, after a hundred years, the Earth Kingdom Capital is now the Fire Nation's property."

* * *

"What's _he_ doing here?" Sokka frowned and nodded to Zuko. "Where's Iroh?" Katara didn't answer him. Everyone was silent.

"I still can't believe it," The Earth King suddenly turned away from them all to face the once great city of Ba Sing Se behind them, slowly fading into the distance. "The Earth Kingdom…has fallen."

Katara sadly glanced at the sleeping Avatar in her arms, and then looked behind her at Zuko. She closed her eyes and pulled Aang closer to herself beneath the dark sky, which was without a moon.

* * *

**A/N: I'm actually thinking of continuing this story into an Alternate Book Fire. What do you think? Review and let me know! Peace Out!**

**-FA**


	2. Chapter 1: The Awakening Part One

_Previously on Avatar…_

"_The Earth Kingdom…has fallen."_

Book Fire

Chapter One: The Awakening

Smiling brightly, Ty Lee practiced her favorite back flip in front on the gilded, golden throne of Ba Sing Se. Once the prized seat of many Earth monarchs, it now housed a new owner; Azula, daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and Princess of the Fire Nation, was the new possessor of the elaborate throne. She now sat in it with regal poise, a fist at the end of each armrest and her legs in a graceful cross-legged position. She, too, had a grin, but it was one of a different nature. Beside her and her conquered throne stood her other friend Mai, the only one of the three who didn't show any expression of joy regarding their, or rather, Azula's, recent takeover of the Earth Kingdom's stronghold capital.

"Come on, Mai, turn that frown upside down! We just took over a big Earth city!" Ty Lee chimed, and then cart wheeled over to Mai. Standing on her head and looking at Mai's thin expression in reverse, she smiled again. "That's better."

"So we conquered another city for Azula's dad," Mai yawned. "Big deal. It's nothing new. The Fire Nation army takes over places every day."

"But this is Ba-See…Ba-See… What's the name, Azula?" Ty Lee struggled with the name as she came out of her headstand.

"It's Ba-Sing-Se, you idiot," Mai snapped. "But don't bother trying to remember the name. It'll probably be changed soon to a more Fire Nation name." She leaned against the side of Azula's throne and crossed her arms.

Ty Lee just rolled her eyes, then perked up a little, grinning in a teasing way at Mai, "Why don't you just cheer up, Mai. Remember? Azula said _Zuko_ would be joining us soon-"

"Sorry, girls, but the plans have changed," Standing up, Azula forced a sympathetic smile, even though she had great pleasure in what she was about to announce, "My brother will not be joining us after all." She wanted to laugh at the quizzical look on Ty Lee's face, then turned to Mai. Her friend had a disappointed look of longing in her eyes, but Azula decided to ignore it. For now.

He didn't believe it; no, he just _couldn't_ believe it. After all he had done against their little group of friends, now he had decided to help them? It just didn't make sense to Sokka. Prince Zuko had chased them for so long in hopes of capturing Aang, the Avatar; what had made him suddenly turn sides? There was definitely something wrong here.

Sokka looked across the blazing campfire. The exiled Fire Prince was just staring into the flaming tongues that their source of warmth was giving off, showing no signs of wanting to talk, just like the rest of the group.

It was simply amazing how so much could go wrong in just one day. It seemed so long ago that he had been reunited with his father and helped the Water Fleet get ready for battle. It really did seem that forever had passed since Toph had clung to him on Appa, asking Aang how his training at the Eastern Air Temple with the guru had gone. It seemed so long ago that Aang had been the boy that they all knew and loved, the boy who was so full of energy and life. Now, the young Avatar just lay in Sokka's sister's lap. He would but wake up every once in a while only to have Katara bend the equivalent of a mouthful of water into his frail mouth.

The Earth King wasn't in a much better state. Frantically he would look around at the group, from Sokka, to Katara, to Zuko, to Toph, and finally to Aang's limp body, hoping for some sign that they had a plan that would bring hope back into all of their hearts. Unfortunately, silence was prevailing that night. It was clear that not a soul wanted to talk about their failure in Ba Sing Se, nor the dark future that lay ahead of all of them.

Sokka sighed. As the oldest in their little group (aside from their new companions, Zuko and the Earth King), he knew it was his job to revive everyone.

"So…" He looked to Zuko again, assuming a deathly glare. "What are you planning now? You and your sister?" Zuko looked up. "Because it's only fair to warn you that-"

"I do not work with _her_." Zuko stated, before reassuming his gaze into the fire. "I want nothing to do with her."

"Yeah. Right." Sokka glared again. "Then how do you explain _that_?" He gestured towards Aang's body, which was still lying in Katara's arms. "Azula couldn't have been able to plan that alone."

"Do not underestimate her." Zuko did not look up again. Silence resumed. Not even the cat-owls were hooting that night.

"He's telling the truth, you know." Katara spoke up. It was the first time she had spoken since Appa had rescued her, Aang, and Zuko from the crystal chambers. "Zuko didn't actually fight with Azula and the Dai Li. He's on our side."

"That reminds me," Sokka said, ignoring her last statement. "No one has quite filled me in yet on what happened down where you guys were. What did Zuko do to you guys, Katara?"

"He didn't do ANYTHING!" Katara said loudly. Aang shifted a little in his sleep. Katara lowered her voice a notch. "Would he be sitting around our campfire if he had?" Sokka's mouth clamped shut. "Toph, tell Sokka. Tell Sokka that Zuko's not lying."

Toph didn't answer. She had fallen asleep with her head leaning gently on Sokka's right shoulder. Sokka glanced down at his small friend.

"Katara, why don't you, the Earth King, and _him_ get some sleep. I'll take the first watch." The truth was, although Sokka was exhausted, he didn't entirely feel comfortable sleeping with someone from the Fire Nation so close to him. He was not going to risk anything.

Katara nodded, and then lay down with Aang at her side. Zuko awkwardly followed suit where he was sitting, then the Earth King, who had been drifting off already, collapsed onto his side with relief.

Sokka sighed, and looked up at the black sky above him and his sleeping friends. Although a pale moon had begun to break out among the gray clouds, there were still no stars scattered across the abyss. He thought of Yue, living only in spirit, and then of Suki, who he had not seen since they parted ways at the entrance to Ba-Sing-Se.

A thought suddenly struck him. He looked to the earthy ground beneath him, his brows furrowed in thought.

Zuko rolled over onto his side. Sleeping had never been one of his favorite activities. It always gave him a sense of vulnerability and exposure. He didn't like being vulnerable, especially with the threat of Azula up in the air. He felt like he should be _doing_ something, not putting himself in a position that left him more defenseless than he already was.

Saw-kuh. That was the name of the Water boy who claimed to be keeping watch. He knew the real reasons that the warrior had decided to stay up; it was obvious. Zuko wouldn't trust himself either had he been in Sokka's position. He knew the unpredictability of his own nation too well.

Sitting up, Zuko rubbed his left eye. It still seemed to tingle randomly since Sokka's sister, Katara, had healed his scar clean off his face. With only a missing eyebrow on that side of his face, Zuko looked almost completely like a normal teenager.

He looked around their tiny camp. Sokka appeared to have fallen asleep beside a series of rough sketches in the dirt. The blind Earthbending girl had fallen onto the ground in her sleep casually next to him. Katara was slumped to the side, her arms still feebly clutching the young Avatar to her chest. The massive Earth King lay on the dirt as well, speaking unintelligible words occasionally in his sleep. The huge brown bear belonging to the monarch was the only other being that was awake, Zuko noticed.

Memories of the previous night's events suddenly flooded his head: his wicked sister, an enormous crystal underground city, Katara… and he recollected the event that still stunned him the most. He had _helped_ the Avatar and his friends. This wasn't like the time he had disguised himself as the Blue Spirit to help the Avatar escape. He had done it for his own personal gain back then. Now…he couldn't figure out why he had done what he had.

The face of his uncle flashed in his mind. He shivered, though it wasn't cold at all. He had never been out in the open without Uncle before, with the exception of the one time he had tried to part ways with him, which, coincidentally, had not ended well. He felt immensely guilty for leaving Uncle back in the cavern to face Azula and the Dai Li. He felt strange, yet free about the whole affair.

Without knowing why, he spoke into the darkness, "I'm sorry." In reality, however, the only thing he was speaking to in reality was the Earth King's bear.

Ex-Fire Nation General Iroh sat in his cell the Dai Li had shoved him in. He was sitting cross-legged in what appeared to be a meditation position when he heard a familiar banging on the barred door. A bowl of leek soup slid in through the bottom bars. Iroh glanced at it, and then gave a weak smile. He looked upwards at the person he could see behind the door.

"You don't suppose that may come with a nice, hot cup of jasmine tea, do you?"

The figure shifted in position so that a triangular brimmed hat of a Dai Li member was visible. Suddenly, a glove made out of hardest stone surged through the bars, knocking the old man into the iron wall. Iroh slid to the floor, groaning.

"That'll teach you not to give us any lip." The head in the window disappeared. Iroh's eyes slid open for a moment, glancing at the empty window, then the leek soup. He reached for it, but before he could satisfy his strong pains of hunger he passed out into unconsciousness.

Images flashed through his head. First, a father held a young boy of about six years old up in the air. They were both smiling and appeared to be laughing. Then, the same son, now a teenager, hugged his father as he left to join his comrades dressed just like him in dark red armor and ready to go off to battle in the name of their nation. Next, an older, shorter man stood beside a different teenager who was wearing the same army uniform but had a strange scar over his left eye. They stood on the deck of a black iron ship, both staring out across the sea. The old man smiled, and then put a hand on the young man's shoulder.

In his temporarily peaceful slumber, the one known as Uncle Iroh smiled.

Feverish dreams engulfed the young Avatar. A female Airbender who was half bald with a tattoo like Aang's, a strong, fur-coated male Waterbender, a tall, Earthbending warrior woman, and a wise, elder Firebender played in turn before his eyes. They all seemed familiar to him somehow. He knew that he had met them each only recently, in a dream that now seemed far away. Already their named were fading, and the female Airbending Avatar's advice had already slipped out of his mind.

In his dreamworld, Aang was riding Appa. He was laughing along with Katara and Toph at something Sokka had said. Zuko rode with them, too, but he looked distracted. Suddenly, arrows were flying through the air. Aang realized they were flying over the Fire Nation's capital. An arrow struck Sokka in the throat and Katara in the heart, and his two friends fell, blank-faced, off the flying bison. Crying out, Aang made to jump after them, but a hand grabbed him from behind. A scarless Prince Zuko, ponytail and all, whispered a sneer to him.

"She's mine."

Aang called out for Toph for help, but the blind Earthbender had fallen from an arrow as well, he realized. He squirmed to get out of Zuko's grasp to face Momo on the other side, but only more shock awaited him. His flying lemur had no face. Turning back to see the front of Appa, he noticed that his furry friend was losing altitude by the second. Looking up into the clouds that were getting farther and farther away from him, he saw the sad, pale face of a Fire Nation noblewoman, her hair dangling around the sides of her face. Part of her once beautiful hair had been pulled into a messy topknot with the crown of a Fire Nation queen sitting on her bun. Aang watched the clouds turn red as the woman's face vanished, and a vicious blue dragon came soaring straight for Aang and Zuko…

Breathing heavily, Aang's eyes snapped open. Sitting up, he realized that he had been lying on a bed in the middle of a small metal chamber. He rubbed his eyes. Something wasn't right. As he vision cleared slightly, he noticed the main colors of his bedroom. Red and black. Slowly turning his body to face the wall behind him, he saw that a tapestry hung with an insignia of a red flame with three tendrils on a black background. Fear surged through his entire body.

Leaping out of bed, Aang noticed his staff was leaning against the wall by a door. He grabbed it before charging out of his only escape. Once outside, he ran at top speed down the metal encased hall.

Finally, he saw a flight of stairs. The only thing that was passing through his mind was that he needed to get out.

Once at the top of the stairs, he felt a cool breeze against his body. He shivered, realizing now that he was barely clothed with only a singed pair of pants and several bandages across his torso. He clung to his wooded staff for support as he dragged himself across the deck of what he now knew was a Fire Navy ship.

"Aang!" Aang turned his head fractically, searching for the source of the call. Soon he was surrounded by men in Fire Nation Army uniforms.

"What do you want with me?" Aang shouted. Their heads turned towards one another. One of the soldiers stepped forward.

"Aang, it's us." He lifted his helmet to reveal that he was, indeed, a friend. Sokka's familiar face stared back at Aang, grinning.

Suddenly Aang felt very dizzy. He stumbled backward…

"Somebody catch him already!" Another familiar male voice called out. Before Aang blacked out, he felt the strong hands of a royal Firebender keep him from hitting the hard, metal deck.


	3. Chapter 1: The Awakening Part Two

IMPORTANT A/N: As I have stated in my user profile, I will no longer be updating my page/stories here. This is for persnal reasons. However, I will continue to write elsewhere. If you would like to continue reading this story, look at my Author page for information. PLEASE LEAVE ALL REVIEWS AT THAT LOCATION.

Yes, this is my last update here a FFnet for the time being. -FA

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or its characters.

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The Awakening

Part Two

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"What's going on?" Groaning, Aang regained consciousness. "And why are you all dressed like this?" He realized that the crowd that was on the deck before he passed out had vanished. Only three people surrounded him now. He recognized Sokka in a Fire Nation uniform, Toph in a burgundy cloak, and-

"Aang!" Katara hugged him. "We're so glad you're back. You're finally awake."

"Finally? What do you mean?" Aang looked at her confusedly. "How long have I been out? What happened?"

"After Azula shot you with her lighting, you've been unconscious for weeks." Toph stated bluntly.

"WEEKS?!" Aang scrambled to his feet, but found that he couldn't hold himself up. As he slipped, he felt a fourth person catch him before he hit the floor.

"Be careful. You're not fully recovered yet, Avatar." Aang hadn't noticed the other soldier there. This one was dressed exactly like Sokka, but he had shaggy, darker hair and very pale skin. He had the most distinctive golden eyes that Aang was sure he had seen somewhere else…

"Who are you?"

The soldier glanced at Sokka expectantly. Sokka shrugged worriedly. He announced, "Aang, this is-"

"My name is Lee." The soldier stated. "You may recognize me from our battles before. I'm from the Fire Nation."

"He's here to help us with the new invasion plan," Sokka rushed to explain.

"He's _on our side_," Katara pleaded.

"Just chill, Twinkletoes," Toph contributed.

Aang didn't understand why they though he was making a fuss about some Fire Nation ally.

"What new invasion plan?"

Sokka smiled, eager to share. "Come over here with me. Here- maybe this will help. You dropped it." He handed Aang his airbending staff. Aang, leaning on his staff, followed Sokka to another part of the ship where there were several other soldiers, all dressed in Fire Nation garb. Lee proceeded to follow them. Sokka frowned.

"It's okay, _Lee_. Why don't you just…" Sokka trailed off, but Lee had already turned around and left to head to the stairs that led to below the deck.

"What was that about, Sokka?" Aang asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Anyway, about the invasion plan;

"After what happened in Ba Sing Se, we had to get you to safety. We flew back to Chameleon Bay, where we found my father and the other Water Tribe men. The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone.Well, not completely alone. Bosco went off with him and we haven't seen them since.

"Soon, the bay was overrun with Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, we captured a single ship and made it our disguise. Since then, we've been traveling westWe crossed through The Serpent's Pass a few days ago. We've seen a few Fire Nation ships, but none have bothered us."

**"**So, what now?" Aang asked, curious.

A man near Sokka answered, "We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan."

"Here you go, Aang. You must be hungry." Katara ran in with a tray full of bowls with noodles. She passed them around to Aang, Sokka, and the other recruits. She turned to the man who had just spoken and snapped, "By the way, it's Sokka's invasion plan, dad."

"Yes, Sokka's plan." Katara's dad frowned, then turned to Aang. "I don't think I've properly introduced myself before. I'm Hakoda, Sokka and Katara's father."

"He knows who you are, I just called you dad, remember?" Katara slipped a piece of noodle from her bowl into her mouth with her chopsticks.

"So you did." Hakoda sighed. "Anyway, we won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable."

Sokka continued, "So we're planning a smaller invasion. Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. We already ran into Pipsqueak and The Duke." He gestured to the two boys behind him. They waved. "And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage. We have a secret weapon." He grinned, then whispered, "You."

Aang didn't like where this was going. "Me?"

"Yup. The whole world thinks you're dead. Isn't it great?"

_Definitely _not_ great_, Aang thought to himself. He began to get dizzy.

"You're throwing too much at him at once," Katara snapped again. She ordered Aang, "Time for another healing session."

"Healing session?" Before Aang could react, Katara grabbed him by the arm and pulled him across the deck to the stairs.

In Aang's chamber, Aang sat on the cot. Katara was finishing up the enormous wound on his back with water from a jug.

"I didn't just go down, did I?" He said quietly. "It was worse than that. I was gone. How did I come back?"

"I just used the water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole." Katara shrugged. "I don't know what I did, exactly."

"You saved me-"

"I think that's enough healing for today. I'll check up on you tomorrow and see if there's improvement." Katara feebly smiled. "You need to rest." Katara got up and left the room.

Aang stared at the ceiling as he lay back down on his back. "Why did you do it?"

"I'm very proud of you Azula. You never cease to amaze me at your raw power." Fire Lord Ozai boomed.

Azula grinned an evil smile. "Thank you, father."

"You destroyed the Avatar, yes?"

"I am sure of it."

"Good…very good…it is a shame that your brother could not be here to share this glory…then again, he brought this fate upon himself. He will end up worse than Iroh for what he has done."

"Of course."

"Now, you of course, will have the honorable task of bringing this traitor to justice."

Azula's face fell. "And what will become of the state of Ba Sing Se? Should there not be a post there to govern and enforce the Earth Kingdom scum? And maintain a hold on the Dai Li?"

"You are questioning my judgement on your assignments?"

"No. Of course not. Father."

"You will find Zuko. Do not kill him. But bring him home alive. I want to be the one to teach your brother his last lesson."

Zuko, or currently known as Lee, lay on his bed. He couldn't sleep, as usual. Rolling out of his cot, he put on his night robe and went upstairs to the deck.

He walked over to the railing. Grasping the edge, he leaned over to glance at the stars.

"You have a hard night, too?" The voice that used to startle him sent a rush of warmth through his body. Katara, dressed in her clothes and red cloak from the day before, stood next to him.

"I have a lot on my mind. So much has changed in me in these last few weeks…"

"I know what you mean. I mean, so much has changed _around _me. It feels like nothing is the same anymore. This war…you…Aang…" Katara closed her eyes.

Zuko drew his attention from the stars to glance at her. She looked like she was in some sort of pain. He took her hand and said quietly, "I just want you to know that I'm forever grateful for what you've done for me recently. These talks we've had…" He touched the space on his left eye where his scar used to be.

"_So…you never liked your sister?"_

"_Never have, never will."_

"_That's too bad. Me and Sokka have our moments of arguing, but we'll always be there for each other. Of course, your case is probably different."_

"_Yes. Much different."_

…

"_I've never really stopped to wonder what you were like, besides the fact that you hunted us. I just thought, like Sokka, that you were just some stupid, angry, obsessive jerk from the Fire Nation."_

"_I was, back then."_

"_You talk about this so casually."_

…

"_You really care about him, don't you?"_

"_Who?"_

"_The Avatar. Aang's his name, right?"_

"_Yes. Yes, I do. Very much. He's like…this is going to sound crazy, but he's like a son to me."_

"Thank you for everything, Katara."

"No, thank you, Zuko- I mean, Lee." Katara opened her eyes and snorted. "Why didn't you just tell Aang who you were, anyway?"

"I will tell him…eventually. It might be kind of a shock. Your brother nearly fainted when you suggested I stay with your group for good. I don't want to push him back to his death state again."

"You won't. Aang's the most forgiving of us. And Sokka's pretty much accepted you by now; why shouldn't Aang?"

"Still…don't tell him yet. I will when it's time."

"Suit yourself." Katara yawned. "We should probably get back to sleep." She paused. "Hey, what's that?" She squinted to look into the distance. "Oh no."

"A Fire Navy ship."

A/N: Sorry I had to leave FFnet like this. But I hope to still see your reviews elsewhere. 3 Feuille en Argents


	4. Chapter 1: The Awakening Part Three

**A/N: I've decided to return to FFN for a bit. I feel like I get more creative feedback here than on other sites, so here's Part 3, the final part of the episode :) Thanks to all those here who have supported this story! I greatly appreciate it. You guys are awesome, and I love all your reviews.**

**Also: Since the Avatar finale will be coming out soon, and with "Zutara Week" on DeviantArt being next week, this story will be updated quicker than it has been. I want to get as many Parts/Episodes/Chapters in before the finale airs.**

**-FA**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.**

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"It can't be…" Katara's voice shook with fear and anger. "Why didn't Dad plan for this yet? What if Aang is seen?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Zuko gave a weak smile and gave a little wave. "Ex-Fire Prince Zuko, here, remember?"

"_Ex_-Fire Prince. If Azula's let the word get out that you're on our side, your whole country will be hating you by now. _You_ can't get us out of this."

"Listen. It's just a patrolling ship. They sweep around the bays all the time to make sure that the navy is in check and doing their job. If we just convince them when they come on board-"

"On board?" Katara's voice rose. "If you think we're going to let some filthy Fire Nation soldier, no offense, on this ship, and risk us getting caught with the _Avatar_ of all people, you're insane."

"I _am_ related to Azula," Zuko mumbled.

"We're not letting them on board!"

"Letting who on board?" Hakoda entered the deck. "What's going on?"

"_That._" Katara pointed.

"Oh." Hakoda noticed the Fire Navy ship. "That won't be a problem at all. Besides," He smiled at Katara, "You have the advantage." He gestured to the moon above them.

"Yeah, whatever," Katara made a face. "That still doesn't mean we won't be in big trouble if they see Aang!"

"Hakoda," Bato came up behind them. "Are you ready? It's getting close."

"Everything's all set. You two go down below on the staircase, where they can't see you," Hakoda said to Zuko and Katara.

"Who?" Katara asked, still angry.

"That Fire ship will probably be coming on board in a few minutes. We have to be very careful," Bato explained.

Katara threw up her hands in frustration.

"Let's go," Zuko stated. He pulled Katara toward the staircase. Hakoda frowned. When Katara and Zuko were out of earshot, he turned to Bato.

"I still don't like how much time my daughter's been spending with that Fire Nation boy…" His eyes shifted as he pulled his helmet on.

"What's happening?" A groggy Aang came up from below deck, rubbing his eyes.

"Aang, go below deck quickly. You can hide out with Katara. She could use some calming advice from an Avatar like you," Hakoda responded. "Our first real test on our disguise will be arriving shortly. A Fire Nation scouting ship will be coming soon to inspect us." He pointed to the smoke growing bigger in the near distance.

Taking in the situation, Aang said anxiously, "Can't I help?"

"The best way for you to help right now is to lay low below deck with the others."

"But I'm the Avatar. I-"

"Exactly. They can't see you, or our entire plan will be useless. Go meet Katara and the others downstairs," Hakoda stated firmly. Aang glared at him for a moment, then turned and abruptly headed back down the stairs.

"Aang! Over here." Sokka, Toph, Katara and "Lee" stood clumped against the wall by the edge of the metal stairs. Aang joined them.

"We can see the deck perfectly from this spot," Lee whispered.

Aang slouched against the wall. He shouldn't be hiding; he should be out there fighting the dangerous army ship that was coming their way! Why did everyone have to be so secretive?

From their view of the deck, the five could see a black shape moving up against their ship. A loud clang of metal sounded as a bridge joined the two vessels.

"I hate not being to do anything," Aang grunted quietly.

"Join the club," Katara whispered with a similar grimace on her face. She moved as if to run up the stairs, but Lee firmly grabbed her shoulder, holding her back. Her eyes narrowed, then she sighed and looked to the floor, giving up.

"You two will be lucky if we don't have to," Toph nodded towards the deck. Two Fire Nation soldiers were coming aboard.

"Commander, why are you off course?" The tall officer had a stern look on his face. "All Western Fleet ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation."  
From beneath his helmet, Hakoda responded, "Actually, we're from the Eastern Fleet. We have orders to deliver some cargo."

"See?" Toph whispered to Aang. "They have everything under control."

"Ah, Eastern Fleet." The officer scratched his chin and glanced at the lower officer beside him. "Well, nice of Admiral Chan to let us know he was sending one of his ships our way."

"I am sure Admiral Chan meant no disrespect, sir," Bato stated beside Hakoda.

The officer rolled his eyes. "I mean, how hard is it to write a quick note and send a hawk our way?"

**"**Next time, we'll send two hawks to be sure you get the message," Hakoda smiled. He and Bato bowed to the two officers. They responded with their own bow and they turned to leave the deck. Hakoda and Bato parted, then walked toward the piloting deck.

Aang smiled with relief. "Sorry, Toph. You were right."

She waved him away. Her ear was pressed against the wall, listening to the officers' conversation as they headed back to their ship on the metal bridge.

"Sir, Admiral Chan has been on leave for two months at Ember Island," The lower soldier stated, confused.

"What? Why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything?" The officer frowned. "Something's not right. They should've known that. I think this is a captured ship. Just stay quiet until we're safely across the ramp." He gave a sneaky grin, and then whispered, "Then we'll sink this ship!"

Toph's blind eyes widened. She jumped up and ran up to the main deck.

"They know!"

She twisted the metal below her feet on the deck, sending a wave of vibrations through the cracked iron in the direction of the bridge. It knocked out the bridge cleanly, bringing it down into the sea and the officers along with it.

Jumping in, Katara rushed to help. In a complex move of waterbending, she swished her arms frantically in the air around her, creating a massive hill of seawater between the two ships. She then jerked her hands downward, moving the hill so that it pushed the Fire Navy vessel away and into the opposite current.

Aang stepped forward to join them, but Sokka and Lee grabbed each of his shoulders.

"We can't afford to lose our cover," Sokka explained.

Alone, Mai sat by a small turtle duck pond. Normally she hated the place, but today she knew it was a good place to think.

"Getting comfortable?" A familiar voice startled her from behind. "Glad to be back home?"

"I suppose so," Mai drawled as she scooted to make room for Azula on the grass next to her.

"Well, that's a shame. We won't be staying long," Azula stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Father's sending me on a rather important mission, and I was hoping you'd join me." Azula smirked as she picked up a stone that was lying beside her in the dirt. "I know how much you're just _dying_ to settle a personal score with Zuko."

Mai pursed her lips and looked at the pond. "What mission is this?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, really. Zuko's been brainwashed by Uncle, the Avatar, and his friends and it is our assigned duty to… bring him back to the light." Azula threw the stone into the pond centimeters away from a turtle duck's head. The creatures immediately began quacking loudly.

"Oh, shut up," Mai said.

"Ty Lee's already in. What do you say?" Azula grinned. She already knew the answer.

"Sure. Whatever."

"Yay!" Ty Lee jumped into the scene, clapping. "Just the three of us, off on our own again! This'll be fun!"

"You can count on that," Azula whispered to herself with an evil smirk.

"That was a close call for us," Hakoda confided with the group after discussing their actions with Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Lee. "But at least Aang is still hidden from the Fire Nation."

"And hidden from us too," Toph added. "Where'd he go, anyway?"

Katara felt a cold rush of wind. She shivered and then glanced up at the sky that was just beginning to brighten into a sunrise. By a cloud, a dark silhouette in the shape of a glider was soaring away from their ship. She froze for a moment and then ran to the ship's railing.

"Aang!" She cried out. The shape in the sky kept soaring away without a flinch.

He was only endangering them all. Leaving his friends was the only option if they were going to survive this war.

"It's the only way!" Aang yelled into the wind as he struggled to gain back the air current that was letting him fly in the direction he wanted. Pushing forward, he blew his own gust of air to redirect the wind, but it only returned to blowing in its initial direction, against Aang's wishes. Before he knew it the powerful wind sent him careening down into the depths. He landed with a splash into the sea and quickly bobbed to the surface. Gasping for breath, he held his glider firmly and pulled himself on top of it for support.

Letting his eyelids fall from tiredness, Aang whispered, "I can't do any of this… I've failed."

"You have not failed, Aang." Aang's eyes jerked open. The shimmering spirit of Avatar Roku floated before him.

"Yes I have. I'm injured and useless. All because of my stupid mistakes." Aang's face looked sullen. "If I had mastered the Avatar State, like I was supposed to, Azula wouldn't have taken over Ba Sing Se. We would all be safe, and I wouldn't have this hole in my back."

"Aang, it was my mistakes that gave you this dangerous life. If I had stopped this war early on, like _I_ was supposed to, you would have a much easier destiny," Avatar Roku confessed. "But you are destined to redeem me, and redeem me you shall. Your destiny is to save our world."

"But I'm losing this war. Everyone thinks I'm dead again. I don't know if I can…"

"But you've already saved the world." Another spirit joined them. Behind Aang stood Princess Yue. "And you'll save it again. You can't give up." She lowered her glowing hands to Aang's forehead in blessing. His arrow tattoo glowed momentarily then went out as he lifted his head and looked at Yue.

"You're right." He looked towards Roku. "I can't give up. _We _can't give up." Shooting out of the water without his glider, Aang flew into the pink sky like an arrow. Yue and Roku smiled after him.

"He just…left us." How could he be so stupid?" Katara ranted, upset. She sat on the sandy beach of a newly discovered island, clutching her knees to her chest. The rest of the crew stood near her, not knowing what to do. Hakoda stepped forward to comfort his daughter, but Zuko ran forward the quickest.

"Katara, there's nothing we could do."

"How could he?" Katar gasped as tears ran down her face.

"Maybe that's his way of being brave," Hakoda sat next to Katara. She turned away.

"It's not brave, it's selfish, and stupid. We could be helping him. And I know the world needs him, but doesn't he know how much that we need him too? How could he just leave us behind?"

Hakoda frowned in realization. "You're talking about me too, aren't you?"

Katara turned to her father at last, crying_.__ "_How could you leave us, Dad? I mean, I know we had Gran Gran, and she loved us, but...but we were just so lost without you. I understand why you left, I really do, but-"

Hakoda pulled Katara into a strong hug. "I am so sorry, Katara," he whispered. "I love you more than anything. You and your brother are my entire world. I thought about you every day I was gone, and every night when I went to sleep. I would lay awake missing you so much, it would ache." He pulled her away and held her by the shoulders. "Never forget how much I love you both. Now, about the Avatar-"

"I'm here." Aang walked down the beach with a determined look on his face. His glider was nowhere in sight.

"You're okay!" Katara ran up to him and embraced him tightly. "Never do that again. We were worried sick."

"I'm sorry."

"Avatar, there's something I need to tell you." Zuko stepped forward. "My name is not really Lee. My name is Prince Zuko from the Fire Nation. Katara healed my scar back in Ba Sing Se. I'm here to help you all defeat my father."

Aang broke away from Katara and gave Zuko a good look. He smiled. "I'm glad."

"That's it? You're just accepting him?" Sokka complained.

"Yep."

"Come on… It took me two whole weeks to get used to the face that he was on our team," Sokka wailed. Everyone laughed.

"We'll be meeting up with you all on the day of the eclipse," Hakoda stated. "We wish you the best of luck. Katara," He smiled. "Take care of the Avatar. And Prince Zuko," He sighed. "Watch over Katara."

"Hey, what's…oh," Toph grabbed something out of the water. "It's your glider." It lay broken and damaged from the sea in her grasp. She handed it to Aang.

"It's okay. If someone saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive." With a sad look, Aang took the glider from Toph and flew up the nearby slope. He stuck the glider firmly into the glowing lava at the top, and with one last look, flew back to his friends.

END OF CHAPTER 1.

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**A/N: Coments/Reviews are loved here... but no flames, s'il vous plait. -FA**


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